Honestly, I tried everything, from using [Scrutinize] to even asking questions, but the two individuals in front of me seemed no different from humans, aside from their decently high stats and their ability to use magic. However, I had them salvage some clothes to cover their necks, as the ice-blue crystals protruding from them were quite eye-catching with their gentle glow. Unfortunately, I couldn't ask them to cover their eyes, which now emitted a disturbing neon blue hue.
*So what are your names?*
I handed them the paper with the question written on it, now in their hands. They stared at it for a couple of moments, seemingly struggling to read it before pocketing it. Then, they looked at me, appearing ready to answer. However, the way they responded surprised me.
'Our names are Duke and Emma sir!' The voice of the man echoed in my head, causing me to whip around, thinking someone else had spoken. However, as I scanned the surroundings, I saw no one. Turning back to the confused duo, I realized it was Duke, the man I knew, who had spoken.
'Can you hear my thoughts? 'I asked, receiving a nod from them, which filled me with excitement. However, I didn't let that show too much as I proceeded to ask a couple of simple questions, aiming to fill in some of the gaps I had regarding the effects of [Chilled Servitude]. It turned out that they felt an unbreakable loyalty, but their explanation didn't stop there. They mentioned feeling like they were gradually getting stronger and undergoing some kind of change, information that I found quite disturbing. This revelation was particularly unsettling considering the crystal growing at the back of their necks, which seemed to be accumulating magic power at a steady pace was eye catching enough.
'Lets go, and try to keep up' I said, getting a nod from Duke and Emma as I began to run in the direction of my home. I made sure to allow the two to keep up, and honestly, even though they weren't very fast, they displayed amazing stamina. This made a journey that would have taken several hours for a normal human less than an hour, which was pretty impressive. However, my surprise didn't end there. When we arrived back at the shack I called home, I found myself stopped from entering by Emma , for reasons unknown.
"Sir, please give us time. We can build a better shelter than this for you," Emma spoke, her words eliciting a surprised look from me. However, I remained silent, signaling for her to continue, which she did.
"I was a carpenter before the bombs dropped, so if you give me some time, I, along with Duke, can improve your shelter," Emma explained. Her words sparked some interest in me, but to be honest, I didn't care much about upgrading my home. Instead, my primary concern was ensuring they had somewhere comfortable to sleep as my shack barely had room for me to relax and enter my mindscape say less these two adults.
'Don't worry, I don't need a better place, but I'm more concerned about where you two will sleep,' My voice echoed over the connection, causing the two to nod in understanding. With little left to say, I instructed them to stay put as I headed into the settlement to purchase building materials using the rewards from hunting and killing oozers and beasts alike. After swiftly returning, I assisted the two in erecting their own much better-looking shacks, thanks to Emma's expertise.